*Many thanks to Henry Holt and Company/Macmillan Publishing Group LLC and Edelweiss for an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book**

As of 12/9/2022, I work at Barnes and Noble. In spring of this year, I was on-shift with my coworker, Erin (please check out her blog, where she reviews YA books, Gateway Reviews! https://gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.com/?m=1), and I asked her "What book should I buy and read? Which one would you recommend?" The first one she thought of was Little Thieves (LT) by Margaret Owen. I bought a hardback copy then, I read it in June, and though I'd never read a book by her before, Ms. Owen has now become an insta-buy author for me.

Vanja and Emeric are back in this sequel, and though you don't have to read LT first, it's a whole lot sweeter if you do. I almost had to read it over again but thought, "No. I want to just jump in headfirst."

HEADS FOR THE WHITE PENNY
1. The plot of this one is ABSOLUTELY BONKERS in the best way possible. Vanja finds herself in the middle of a cult she inadvertently created, and Emeric is on the case. But, like in LT, nothing is EVER as it seems. The twists and turns I went through to get to the end of this one kept me up until 1:30am. I was never bored, and I was very anxious to see where it all landed.

2. Emeric. I cannot, CANNOT, champion this prefect's kindness, thoughtfulness, and absolutely gentlemanly care more if I tried... And he's even better in this book. Emeric is one of those beautifully written males in book history that you think is too good to be true, but has too many flaws to think he's imaginary. He makes mistakes, he says the wrong thing, he appears to be one thing but then turns what you know about him on its head... Then he shows you just how imperfectly perfect he is. He is one of the BEST examples of a non-toxic person that I've read about, and if Vanja doesn't want him, I WANT HIM. It's his budding relationship with Vanja from the first book, which carries over into the second, that makes me believe in love again.

3. Ms. Owen's sparkling use of the written word is a whole amusement park of imagery and sarcasm that makes you laugh the moment you step into the ride. So many times, I was bemused by Vanja's descriptions and antics in certain moments. I caught myself thinking "Man, I would say that in real life." The deep parts hit deep. The funny parts didn't pull their punches and knocked me out laughing. Ms. Owen's way of writing has the beautiful capability to be relatable and entertaining. Reading these two makes me really, REALLY anxious to read the two Merciful Crow books she wrote, because I know that I will not be disappointed.

TAILS FOR THE RED
(This is the part of my ARC review where I provide constructive criticism for the book I just read. Unfortunately, I am not able to do that, because this book is near flawless, and the tiny irksome bits I could somehow drag out of it are negligible at worst. One of those points is really a publisher's formatting thing that has nothing to do with Ms. Owen's text, so I'm not even going into it. Instead, I am going to leave 3 reactions I had by the end of it.)

1. Ms. Owen, YOU ENDED IT LIKE THAT?!?!! WHAAAAAAAT?!?!??

2. THERE HAS TO BE MORE. CAN I HAVE IT NOW?!? HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME WAIT!!!!

3. Thank you for writing what I never knew I needed. But seriously... I want another one.

VERDICT
...in 5/2023, buy it. Read it. Love it. Flawless ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. While you're at it, buy Little Thieves, read it (if you haven't already), love it.

I dearly dearly loved this book. Margaret Owen writes for the awful girls. The girls who fear that a single wrong move could make them unworthy of love. This story is so tender, these characters so dear to me, and yet there is an unlimited supply of action and humor among all the vulnerability. I could read about Vanja and Emeric and all of their many interesting acquaintances for 1000 more books, and I can't wait for the release of Holy Terrors!

Owen continues to be amazing with the consistent quality of her novels and series. The first book in the series, Little Thieves, was an entertaining retelling, but Painted Devils takes the story and the characters to a new level. The greatest achievement of this book is, without a doubt, the unique storyline. You don't often find a story where characters find themselves in this particular situation. Accidentally creating a cult, is definitely not everyday young adult thing. For me, the biggest downside was the fact there was a point where the young adult/teenage preoccupation with romance and sex became a little too much.

Special thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC.

“Let me state one thing up front: I wasn’t trying to start a cult.”

Painted Devils is just one of the most clever books I have read. From the characters to the plot to the dialogue…I love it all.

She wove in Backstreet Boys lyrics like it was nothing.

Go read this book! And Little Thieves if you haven’t yet. That’s it. That’s the review! Read it and join the cult 😉

It is not that I didn't like the book, it is just that I felt as though I had read something similar before.

adored Little Thieves and Vanja is one of my favorite FMCs, so I was thrilled with the announcement of this second installment. Imagine my excitement when NetGalley and the publisher approved me for an ARC! AND IT WAS SO GOOD! An easy 5 star rating for me.

I received Painted Devils from Net Galley, but ultimately I just HAD to buy the audio and listen instead.

I was insanely impressed with the creativity and world building of the first book in this series, Little Thieves. The pronunciation of some of the locations and creatures is fascinating enough. Add to that the imaginative blend of humans, magic, and creatures, and you have yourself a perfect blend for a fantasy series.

Vanja Schmidt, our main character, is the absolutely best part of this story. It’s not enough that we’re with her on her journey in Painted Devils. She has such a clever and sarcastic humor that keeps readers entertained. Some of the responses she had for the book’s antagonist were so snarky, I love it. I love a good (yet flawed) character that stands up for themselves and their friends. Vanja’s one liners are some of the best moments in Painted Devils .

“An ant does not concern itself with the weight of a mountain.” (This had me bursting with laughter. IYKYK)
Painted Devils by Margaret Owen is a fantasy tale of adventure across lands to stop a low-God from continuing the ultimate destruction of a town through a cult that Vanja accidentally started. Vanja is always getting into trouble, but she truly didn’t mean to start a cult. It kind of took on a life and power of its own before she could stop it. While this is the premise, it’s not the true bones of what makes this book so special.

I feel that the fantasy storyline is what keeps a reader entertained, while the real message of this book is love, family, and respect. Margaret Owen shows us what it is to have family that is found, and family that we’re given. This is a story of empowered women learning to trust and love themselves. It’s learning to trust people we love after trauma, and what that journey can look like with its ups and downs. This book is a dark fantasy genre for teens, so I hope that any teens who read or listen to Painted Devils will pick up on those important points throughout the story.

Painted Devils is an undeniable 5-star listen. Saskia Maarleveld delivers Vanja’s emotions so perfectly. Her differeing tones for the various characters are easy to follow. The ending was a major shock to me. I can’t believe I didn’t realize the true motivation of their secret-enemy until the very moment that Vanja said it aloud.

The very final conversation in Painted Devils is such a catastrophic boom of a surprise that I’m almost afraid to listen to the next book. Almost.

I read Little Thieves awhile back, so when I had the opportunity to read Painted Devils, I figured I'd give it a go. I was just so-so about the first book, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually liked book two better.

Vanja and friends are back with a mystery about a fake god and a cult that Vanja has accidentally created. It's a good mix of mystery, adventure, fantasy, and a splash of humor that allows us to get to know each character more deeply.

I'm not usually a romance fan, but I did appreciate the way that Vanja and Emeric's relationship develops in this book. I love that things aren't perfect as they become both more emotionally and physically intimate. It felt very realistic to young people falling in love for the first time.

This definitely isn't the most complex fantasy series I've ever read, but it is enjoyable and worth reading for a good time.

Thank you to Netgalley, Margaret Owens, and Henry Holt & Co for the E-ARC and Audio-ARC! This in no way affects the objectivity of my review.

Incredible follow up to Little Thieves! I adore this series and everything Margaret Owen writes! I would read her grocery list tbh. This sequel has everything we loved the first time, along with new adventures and of course more trouble for our beloved couple to get themselves out of (and back in again!) I highly recommend Painted Devils to any Owen fans out there! I am anxiously awaiting the third!!!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and Margaret Owen once again delivered in a way I was absolutely NOT expecting.

This book is more introspective and less linear-feeling than Little Thieves, and I think she might lose some readers with a very different story. But I loved that the series pivots to focus on Vanja's family and - in a huge way - sex and sexuality. Our girl makes the biggest, messiest choices, and she certainly suffers the consequences.

Not what I was expecting, but the characters and the voice in this book are so strong and SO well done that I couldn't put it down! My students will love this one!

***Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.***

10/10. No notes. I think Vanja has the likelihood to become one of my all time favorite female main characters. She is so perfectly flawed and easy to root for. I loved the themes of family in this one. I also, of course, enjoyed her relationship with sweet Emeric and the return of Ragne. I am so attached to these characters.

This series is such a blast and I cannot wait for book three.

A moment of appreciation for Margaret Owen’s tremendously good sense of humor, a rare bird indeed in this series’ genre.

Plot-wise this one is a bit of a step down from Little Theives, too focused on romantic subplot (and the ultra-cringey “can we get this angry god off our backs by um…getting on our backs?”), and and less driven by greater narrative arc. I fully expect a return to form in book three.

The characters remain excellent, though I missed Ragne and struggled to understand why she was absent for most of the book. The creepy doll, though, was an excellent addition to the cast, and I appreciated getting some answers (mostly for Vanja’s sake) about her family.

We are a long way from The Goose Girl now, which I think is fine since the story can clearly stand on it’s own, born of traditional fairy tale but finding its own unique path.

Loved this story so much! Margaret is a powerhouse when it comes to storytelling and creating characters you can’t help but love and root for!!! A great sequel to Little Thieves!

Painted Devils is a mesmerizing and thought-provoking follow-up to Little Thieves. With its intricate world-building, well-drawn characters, and lyrical prose, this book will definitely appeal to fans of dark fantasy and readers who appreciate themes of resilience and redemption.

Owens is on my auto-read authors list. I just… I loved this book. It’s funny - the kind of funny where you read a joke and you say “PAHHH!” out loud like Bert in Mary Poppins. It’s poignant, and handles <I>it</I> in a way I’ve never seen in a YA book. It’s inclusive and lovely and I only yelled at the characters for being stupid teenagers twice.

I loved going back to the world that Margaret Owen created in Little Thieves. Painted Devils picked up right where Little Thieves left off.

Vanja's snark and banter with other characters is highly entertaining. I love the parts throughout the book that are written like a Grimm's fairytale. I enjoyed that there was still some character development and a little world building still even though it's the second book.

I highly recommend The Little Thieves series to readers that enjoy fantasy or fairytales. I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you to Henry Holt and Co for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While Vow of Thieves is a duology, there is a trilogy before which is just as good. From her debut duology comprised of The Merciful Crow and The Faithless Hawk to her new novel Little Thieves, her books are full of unexpected surprises, from their complex worldbuilding to their unconventional heroines.

Vanja Schmidt accidentally starts a cult. Well....of course she does.
Painted Devils doesn't suffer from "second book syndrome" one bit. In true form, Vanja finds herself in another unpredictably tricky situation as the result of her scheming ways. Emeric again is called to the case and must determine if Vanja is guilty of fraud or if she is innocent. Like in Little Thieves, there are still heists and schemes, but with with a new roster of characters along with some of our favorites from book one.

I love Vanja and Emeric so much!! Loved all the little capers here as well as the overarching plot that showed us more of Vanja's backstory. So many great, laugh-out-loud moments. And the Grimm fairytale vibes are perfection.

The banter between our lovers continues to be top-notch and I do appreciate the demisexual rep, but I think I am simply too old to care about the angst of two teenagers deciding when to have sex. But I did appreciate this book showcasing that intimacy is whatever you define it as!! Teenage me would have loved to have read that.

Gimme the next book now, please!!